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Allston
Neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts

Allston

Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Plan a trip to Allston→From Providence/Warwick

It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton. The two are often referred to together as Allston–Brighton. Boston Police Department District D-14 covers the Allston-Brighton area and a Boston Fire Department Allston station is located in Union Square which houses Engine 41 and Ladder 14. Engine 41 is nicknamed "The Bull" to commemorate the historic stockyards of Allston.

Get in

Getting to Allston

Unlike other neighborhoods, you'll find the bus and the trolley are almost equally important here. The B branch of the Green line makes a prolific number of stops in the area. Heading outbound some of the larger stops are: Babcock Street, Packards Corner, Harvard Ave, Washington Street, Chestnut Hill Ave, and Boston College; about 10 smaller stops are in the mix as well.

See

Worth seeing

One of the best activities in Allston-Brighton is people-watching, for whatever your motivations. You'll find an exciting mix of ethnicities and age groups, from upper middle class college kids to Vietnamese immigrants to the local Russian community.

Do

Things to do

Things to do in Allston largely include just walking about and enjoying the area. There are a lot of little boutiques, excellent friendly coffee/tea shops, some interesting crowds, and a relatively easy-going atmosphere. It's also an excellent area for photography.

  1. 01
    Charles River Canoe & Kayak

    1071 Soldiers Field Rd (T: Harvard),.

  2. 02
    Community Rowing

    20 Nonantum Rd (Bus to Watertown Yard and walk),.

  3. 03
    Harvard Stadium
  4. 04
    Alumni Stadium

    140 Commonwealth Avenue (Boston College),.

  5. 05
    Conte Forum
  6. 06
    Harrington Athletics Village

    2125 Commonwealth Avenue (Boston College).

How locals move

Getting around Allston the local way

  • Get inLong Wharf is the most popular; offering MBTA connections to the Charlestown Navy Yard, Logan Airport, Hingham and Hull, as well as a seasonal ferry to Salem.
  • Get inBoston Harbor Cruises offers other seasonal ferries, decamping to the Boston Harbor Islands, or heading out to Provincetown.
  • Get inThere is another ferry from here to Hingham, and a seasonal one to Winthrop.
  • Get inWater taxis are plentiful all along the waterfront, servicing 28 different points between downtown, South Boston, East Boston, and Charlestown.
  • Go nextHead down to the wharf and take a ferry out to the Boston Harbor Islands.

From Wikivoyage: Boston/Downtown, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.